Cage for transporting and introducing bees



Feb. 5, 1924.

o. L. HER SHISER CAGE FOR TRANSPOR'IING AND-INTRODUCING BEES Sheet 1are! L. l mrahiswr a n A m M d m 5 a F r||| l.- 1 I--- F- 4 4 Feb. 5,1924.

- O. L. HERSHISER CAGE FOR TRANSPORTING AND INTRODUCING BEES Filed April17. 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 3mm 01%? A. fiorshiscw Feb, 5, 1924. 11,4@s2,4@$ 0. L. HERSHISER CAGE FOR TRANSPORTING AND INTRODUCING BEES FiledApril 17, 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. Ore/ L. fiersh/ser ATTORNEYdPatented Feb. 5, 1924.

OREL L. HERSHISEB, F KENMORE, NEW YORK.

GAG-E103 TRANSPORTING A NID INTRODUCING BEES.

Application filed April 17, 1922.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Oman L. IIERSH'ISER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Kenmore, county of Erie, State of New York. have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Cages for Transporting andIntroducing Bees, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in cages for transporting andintroducing bees.

The object of the invention is to provide an efiective structure inwhich the queen bee can be properly fed in transportation and from whichshe can be effectively introduced without danger or contamination of thecolony with the food and without serious danger to the safety of thequeen.

Further objects, and objects relating to details and economies ofconstruction. and operation will definitely appear from the de taileddescription to follow. 7

I accomplish the objects ofmy invention by the devices and meansdescrlbed the following specification. The inventlon is clearly definedand pointed out in the claims.

A structure which is-a preferred embodiment of my invention is fullyillustrated in the accompanying drawing forming a part of thisspecification, in which:

Fig. I is a, perspective view oi: my 1mproved bee mailing andintroducing cage.

Fig. 11 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on line 22 of Fig. I.

Fig. III is a side elevation view of my improved cage with the slide inplace and the food compartment removed.

Fig. III is a side elevation of my food compartment, certain detailsappearing in dotted lines.

Fig. IV is a partial section of a comb with my cage in place forintroducing the queen.

Fig. V is a perspective view of a modification of my mailing andintroducing cage.

Fig. VI is a longitudinal section corresponding toline 66 of Fig, V.

'Fig. VII is a plan view of my cage in connection with the comb in placefor introducing shown partially in section.

Fig. VIII is a plan view of a slight modification.

Fig. IX is a sectional view of the same taken on line 9-9 of Fig. VIII.

Fig. X is a detail sectional view of a modification showing detachedmailing cage for the queen.

Fig. XI is the introducing cage, both opied.

Serial No. 554,260.

views being longitudinal views and the parts associated together for acomplete structure.

In the drawing, the sectional views are taken looking in the directionof the little arrows at the ends of the section lines and similarnumerals oi reference refer to similar parts throughout the severalviews.

A large percentage of the queen bees pro.- duced by breeders andpurchased by bee keepers are lost by attempted introduction. Many of thelosses are directly traceable to the faulty construction of the mailingand introducing cages. These are designed more particularly fortransportation rather than for introducing. Many of the queens, beingconfined within the limited quarters of these cages and feedingduringthe proccss of introduction on the food provided for shipment, donot acquire the colony odor sufliciently to render them acceptable tothe colony. As a consequence, it is a common occurrence for a queenintroduced in this manner to be killed by the bees as soon as sheemerges from the cage.

Further, contagious diseases such as American and European foul broodhave been conveyed by food used for the queen and attendant worker beeswhile being transported. To prevent the spread of these infectiousdiseases, all toodremaining in the cages should be removed or the queenand attendant worker bees sufficiently excluded from it beforeintroducing the queen. The diseases mentioned are of the larvae broodand are not communicated to the colony if none of the food in the cageis allowed to be stored within the hive to which the queen is beingintroduced. The disease germs in the food eaten by the queen andattendant worker bees are consumed by digestion and no disease'iscommunicated thereby.

Referring to the parts of the drawing by their numbers, 1 represents myimproved mailing and introducing cage in parallel- The top 2- is arectangular shaped blockof wood with cross blocks 2, 2 at each end. Thecage, or enclosure, is formed by tacking the wire screen 3 around theform. The wire extendsbelow the false bottom 4 at 3 and embraces thefood receptacle 8, which is removable. Just below the wood block 2 atone end is a slot 5 cut into the wire screen to admit the falsebottom 4which terminates at one end in two points 4. which are bent to hold thebottom in place. The other end of the false bottom 4. is bent at rightangles at 4" to facilitate its removal.

In the top 2 is a small opening 6 through which the queen bee is placedin the cage, this opening being covered by a screen 7 tacked onto thetop.

The food compartment 8 is formed of a rectangular block of wood havingdouble cylindrical openings 9 and 9 bored therein and covered by a pieceof wire cloth 10. The cylindrical opening 9 is also covered by a pieceof waxed paper 11 under which the food is placed. At one end of thecompartment, in order that the queen may be introduced by what is termedas the eat out plan, is a small opening 12 covered by a screen 13. Thiscompartment can be. removed by pulling out the small tacks 14: whichhold it in the receptacle 3. The opening 15 in the bottom of compartment8 corresponds with the opening 4! in the false bottom and is closed byinserting a tin slide 16 through the same slot in which the bottom 4: isdisposed, one end of the slide 16 being bent at right angles tofacilitate its removal.

Observe through the wire screen covering of the removable block 8 thatthe queen and all, or nearly all, of the attendant worker bees are inthe upper part of the cage. Confine them there by inserting the smalltin slide 16 holding the same in place with the thumb and finger. Removethe block 8 containing the foot, select a place on the side of a beecomb from the hive to which introduction is to be made containing honey,and preferably a few cells of capped brood.

Then press the wire cloth side of the cage downward into the comb asseen in Fig. IV until the false bottom of tin and the small tin slideare in contact with the surface of the comb. Then withdraw the falsebottom and the small tin slide. It is thus clear that the food has beenentirely removed. The queen and attendant workers are engaged on thecomb and feed on the honey of the colony to which the queen is beingintroduced. This adds much to the likelihood of safe introduction.

The queen can be introduced by what is termed the cat out plan by anywho desire to do so. A small opening is made at the end of the foodcompartment in order that the queen may be thus introduced. This method,however, is not recommended.

My modification, as shown in Fig. V, is similar in construction to mypreferred cage. The wide screen 3 is tacked to the blocks 17 on the foodcompartment forming a top to the cage. A slot 18 is cut in the wire topermit the false bottom 19, which is one solid piece of tin, to beinserted. The opening 15 in the food compartment is closed by a tinslide 20 in slot 21 cut at the opposite end of the food compartment.

In using this modification for introduction, it will be observed that itis similar in most respects to the preferred form. However, the wirecloth sides are attached to the block containing the food compartmentand the block becomes the top of the cage and there is no opening in thefalse bottom. Another diflerence is that a small opening is made at, theopposite end of the food compartment through which to place the queenand attendant workers into the cage.

In introducing the queen in this form, b inspection make sure that thequeen and all: or nearly all, of the attendant worker bees are in thecompartment of the cage below that containing the food. Confine themthere by inserting the small tin slide 21. Then cage the queen on thecomb as in the preferred form, removing the false bottom 18. The foodhere is sufficiently shut off and cannot contaminate the bees or thecolony. It will be observed that, as described, my invention is in twodifferent forms. I desire to claim specifically in the preferred formand also to claim the same broadly as pointed out in the appendedclaims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a transporting and introducing cage for queen bees, thecombination of a box formed of a compartment of wood or similarmaterial, containing a screened aperture for receiving the queen bee andattendant workers, screen sides and ends therefor extending beyond thesaid wood box, an apertured false bottom for the said compartment withslide cover for the aperture, a removable block apertured and containingrecesses for food for the transported bees disposed within the extendedscreen, and a screen cover for the food compartment whereby the foodcompartment can be readily removed, the extended screen forced into theface of the comb and the false bottom removed, as specified.

2. In a cage for transporting and introducing a queen bee, thecombination of a suitable box with screen sides, the screen beingextended beyond the bottom, a removable slide false bottom, a foodcompartment, a slide door for shutting off the said food compartmentfrom the said box whereby the bees can be separated from the food andthe extended screen inserted into the face of comb and the false bottomwithdrawn, as specified.

3. In a cage for transporting and introducing a queen bee, thecombination of a suitable box with slide false bottom and screen sidewalls extended beyond the bottom, a separable removable food compartmentassociated therewith, with means for shutting it off from the said boxor cage, whereby on introducing the queen the bees can be separated fromthe food and the screen sides inserted into the face of comb and thefalse bottom removed.

4. In a cage for transporting and introducing a queen bee, thecombination of a suitable box with slide false bottom and screen sidewalls extended beyond the bottom, a. separable food compartmentassociated therewith, with means for shutting it off from the said boxor cage, whereby on introducing the queen the bees can be separated fromthe food and the screen sides inserted into the face of comb and thefalse bottom removed.

5. In a cage for transporting and introducing a queen bee, thecombination of a suitable box having separable food means and having aslide false bottom and screen side fi walls extended beyond the bottom,whereby on introducing the queen the bees can be separated from the foodand the screen sides inserted into the face of comb and the falsebottomremoved.

6. In a cage for transporting and introducing a queen bee, a structureeomprisin a box with suitable screen sides, with slide bottom above thelower edge thereof, where by the extended screen sides can be insertedinto the face of comb and the slide bottom removed, as specified.

7. A cage for transporting and introducing a queen bee comprising a foodcompartment, a restricted door leading thereto, an introducingcompartment in proximity to the food compartment with a removable bottomand means for supporting the same with the bottom side toward the comb,as speci In Witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

OREL L. HERSHISER. 1,. 8.

